Spotify to launch Facebook app and music sharing service

Spotify, the music streaming service, is launching a series of apps to make it
easier for users to share their favourite songs online within a matter of
weeks.

Ek revealed that the Spotify's largest audience demographic was between 25-35, and he wanted to increase the amount of teenagers using the service.

By Emma Barnett, Technology Correspondent

6:31PM BST 15 May 2009

Users who are a member ofFacebook will be able to link their accounts to share their playlists with friends. The Facebook app will allow Spotify users a simple way to link through to playlists they have compiled.

Technology is also being developed to allow users to create and share music through their own “radio stations”.

Daniel Ek, Spotify’s Swedish founder and chief executive, made the announcements today, speaking on a panel discussing new digital music business models at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton.

Ek revealed that the Spotify’s largest audience demographic was between 25-35, and he wanted to increase the amount of teenagers using the service. One of the ways he proposes to achieve this aim is by improving the sharing capabilities the site offers.

“Spotify is not a social network. Companies like MySpace and Facebook already do a good job of that. However we do think that music is the most powerful social object on earth and people enjoy sharing music with each other… We are still building the Spotify platform at the moment and over the coming weeks and months you will see more features added to the service,” Ek explained.

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However both the Facebook app and “radio station” sharing tool, would be part of the premium package, where users pay £9.99, to stream music but without ads.

Spotify users can stream music for free in exchange for listening to around a minute of advertising every half hour but for £9.99 a month, the ads will be turned off. Early indications show that the majority of the one million users in Britain are opting for the free package and listening to ads.

Understandably Ek wants to boost subscription uptake and hopes this will come from adding extra value features such as sharing tools and as the service launches on mobile devices. Ek revealed that the launch of Spotify on mobile devices will not be an exclusive deal with the iPhone.